“Should I pursue an academic career?”

Professors and advisors are often asked by master and PhD students as to whether an academic career can be recommended. Christian Bettstetter and Bernhard Rinner summarized their personal perspective on the characteristics and career paths of academic jobs and give some hints for people who decide to go for academia. The content was first presented and discussed at the retreat of the Institute of Networked and Embedded Systems in June 2010 and was updated at the retreat in 2014.

Characteristics of Academic Jobs

Offers you the chance to work in a field that interests you

Enables you to “dig deep” into a field for a relatively long period (stable work horizon)

Offers freedom and independence

Sets clearly defined goals (esp. PhD thesis)

Allows you to work in a generally friendly and respectful working environment

Allows flexible working times

Allows you to get “young and hungry” vibes

Enables you to learn a lot and train your skills (e.g., leadership skills can be trained during PhD period)

Allows you to make mistakes (at the beginning of your PhD)

Gives you fixed-term contract assignments

Gives you medium salaries (low salaries in some countries); no top salaries

Requires high personal commitment (it’s not a “job”, sometimes 50-60-hours work week)